초록

Light Emitting Diode Light Sources for Dental Curing are disclosed. Some embodiments of the invention include structures such as Light Emitting Diode Array(s), heat sink, heat dissipation, heat pipe, and control circuitry are disclosed.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A light emitting diode lighting device comprising: a) a substrate composed of a material capable of efficiently conducting heat, said substrate including a first substrate portion being electrically conductive and thermally conductive and a second substrate portion thermally

What is claimed is: 1. A light emitting diode lighting device comprising: a) a substrate composed of a material capable of efficiently conducting heat, said substrate including a first substrate portion being electrically conductive and thermally conductive and a second substrate portion thermally connected to the first substrate portion, said second substrate portion being thermally conductive and electrically insulating, said substrate having a top and a bottom; b) one or more light emitting diodes, said one or more light emitting diodes being capable of emitting light when supplied with adequate electrical current, said one or more light emitting diodes have a bottom surface which is electrically conductive and is configured as a heat transfer surface, said bottom surface of said one or more light emitting diodes being firmly mounted on said first substrate portion, said one or more light emitting diodes being in thermal communication with said substrate so that heat produced by said one or more light emitting diodes is conducted away from said one or more light emitting diodes through the substrate; c) electrical wiring configured to provide electrical current to said one or more light emitting diodes in order to provide power thereto and cause the one or more light emitting diodes to emit light; d) a heat pipe capable of efficiently conducting heat from one location to another, said heat pipe having a first end and a second end, the first end of the heat pipe being firmly mounted against the bottom of said second substrate portion in order to transfer heat from said substrate to the second end of the heat pipe; e) control circuitry capable of controlling electrical current transmission to said one or more light emitting diodes in order to control light production by said one or more light emitting diodes; and f) a layer of conductive material separated from said first substrate portion by an electrically insulating material, said layer of conductive material coupled to an anode of at least one of said one or more light emitting diodes, wherein said layer of conductive material includes a plurality of regions which are electrically isolated from one another, and wherein one of the plurality of regions is coupled to an anode of each of the at least one of the one or more light emitting diodes, respectively. 2. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein said substrate is capable of efficiently conducting electrical current. 3. The device as recited in claim 1 wherein said substrate is constructed, in part, from one or more materials selected from the group comprising diamond, metal, copper, aluminum, gold, silver and iron. 4. The device as recited in claim 1 wherein said heat pipe is in thermal communication with a heat dissipation environment. 5. The device as recited in claim 4, wherein said heat dissipation environment is selected from the group comprising air, water and a phase change heat effusion material. 6. The device as recited in claim 1, further comprising a heat sink constructed of material capable of efficiently dissipating heat into a heat dissipation environment, said heat sink being firmly attached to the second end of the heat pipe to accept and dissipate the heat from said second end of the heat pipe. 7. The device as recited in claim 6 wherein said heat pipe and said heat sink are electrically conductive and are electrically integral with a cathode of the at least one of said one or more light emitting diodes. 8. The device as recited in claim 1, further comprising one or more cups located on the top of the substrate and each of said one or more cups surrounding selected one or more light emitting diodes, each of said one or more cups for manipulating the light created by the selected one or more light-emitting diodes. 9. The device as recited in claim 8 further comprising one or more lenses optically connected with one of the one or more cups, said one or more lenses for adjusting the light emitting by the one or more light emitting diodes associated with the one of the one or more cups, wherein adjusting is one or more actions selected from the group comprising collecting, focusing and collimating. 10. The device as recited in claim 8 wherein said one or more cups are coated with an optically reflective material. 11. The device as recited in claim 1 further comprising one or more cups located in said substrate top, said one or more cups being sized and configured to have one or more light emitting diodes mounted therein, said one or more cups for manipulating the light created by the one or more light emitting diodes associated therewith. 12. The device as recited in claim 11 further comprising one or more lenses optically connected with one of the one or more cups, said one or more lenses for adjusting the light emitting by the one or more light emitting diodes associated with the one of the one or more cups, wherein adjusting is one or more actions selected from the group comprising collecting, focusing and collimating. 13. The device as recited in claim 1 further comprising one or more lenses optically connected with one of the one or more light emitting diodes, said one or more lenses for adjusting the light emitted by the one of the one or more light emitting diodes associated therewith, wherein adjusting is one or more actions selected from the group comprising collecting, focusing and collimating. 14. The device as recited in claim 1 wherein said heat pipe is electrically conductive and is electrically integral with a cathode of the at least one of said one or more light emitting diodes. 15. The device as recited in claim 1 wherein said light emitting diodes produce light having wavelengths represented by one or more ranges selected from the group comprising infrared, ultraviolet and visible. 16. The device as recited in claim 1 wherein said light emitting diodes produce visible light having one or more wavelengths representing a color selected from the group comprising red, blue, green and amber. 17. The device as recited in claim 1 wherein said control circuitry and said electrical wiring includes batteries electrically coupled thereto, wherein power for operation of the device is drawn from said batteries or a plug connected to an AC line current or a combination thereof. 18. The device as recited in claims 1 wherein said substrate is separated into quadrants and each quadrant includes one or more light-emitting diodes, wherein the control circuitry can address each quadrant separately. 19. The device as recited in claim 1 wherein the heat pipe has a longitudinal configuration having one or more shapes selected from the group comprising straight, curved, and bent. 20. The light emitting diode device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of regions include a first region that includes at least one diode of a first type and having a first wavelength output, and a second region that includes at least one diode of a second type having a second wavelength output which is different than the first wavelength output. 21. The light emitting diode device of claim 20, wherein the control circuitry is configured to manage a first current and a first voltage supplied to the at least one diode of the first type, wherein the control circuitry is configured to manage a second current and a second voltage to the at least one diode of second type, wherein the first voltage is different than the second voltage. 22. A light emitting diode lighting device comprising: a) a substrate composed of a material capable of efficiently conducting heat, said substrate including a first substrate portion being electrically conductive and thermally conductive and a second substrate portion thermally connected to the first substrate portion, said second substrate portion being thermally conductive and electrically insulating, said substrate having a top and a bottom; b) one or more light emitting diodes, said one or more light emitting diodes being capable of emitting light when supplied with adequate electrical current, said one or more light emitting diodes have a bottom surface which is electrically conductive and is configured as a heat transfer surface, said bottom surface of said one or more light emitting diodes being firmly mounted on said first substrate portion, said one or more light emitting diodes being in thermal communication with said substrate so that heat produced by said one or more light emitting diodes is conducted away from said one or more light emitting diodes through the substrate; c) electrical wiring configured to provide electrical current to said one or more light emitting diodes in order to provide power thereto and cause the one or more light emitting diodes to emit light; d) a heat pipe capable of efficiently conducting heat from one location to another, said heat pipe having a first end and a second end and a medial portion therebetween, said second substrate portion mounted on said medial portion of the heat pipe in order to transfer heat from said substrate to one of or both of said first end and said second end; e) control circuitry capable of controlling electrical current transmission to said one or more light emitting diodes in order to control light production by said one or more light emitting diodes; and f) a layer of conductive material separated from the first substrate portion by an electrically insulating material, said layer of conductive material coupled to an anode of at least one of said one or more light emitting diodes, wherein said layer of conductive material includes a plurality of regions which are electrically isolated from one another, and wherein one of the plurality of regions is coupled to an anode of each of the at least one of the one or more light emitting diodes, respectively. 23. The device as recited in claim 22, wherein said substrate is capable of efficiently conducting electrical current. 24. The device as recited in 22 further comprising a heat sink constructed of material capable of efficiently dissipating heat to a heat dissipating environment, said heat sink mounted on the first end of the heat pipe. 25. The device as recited in 24 wherein said heat sink is also mounted on the second end of the heat pipe. 26. The device as recited in claim 24 wherein said heat pipe and said heat sink are electrically conductive and are electrically integral with a cathode of the at least one of said one or more light emitting diodes. 27. The device as recited in claim 22 wherein said substrate is constructed, in part, from one or more materials selected from the group comprising diamond, metal, copper, aluminum, gold, silver and iron. 28. The device as recited in claim 22 wherein said heat pipe is in thermal communication with a heat dissipation environment. 29. The device as recited in claim 22 wherein said heat dissipation environment is selected from the group comprising air, water and a phase change heat effusion material. 30. The device as recited in claim 22 further comprising one or more cups located on the top of the substrate and each of said one or more cups surrounding selected one or more light emitting diodes, each of said one or more cups for manipulating the light created by the selected one or more light-emitting diodes. 31. The device as recited in claim 30 further comprising one or more lenses optically connected with one of the one or more cups, said one or more lenses for adjusting the light emitted by the one or more light emitting diodes associated with the one of the one or more cups, wherein adjusting is one or more actions selected from the group comprising collecting, focusing and collimating. 32. The device as recited in claim 30 wherein said one or more cups are coated with an optically reflective material. 33. The device as recited in claim 22 further comprising one or more cups located in said substrate top, said one or more cups being sized and configured to have one or more light emitting diodes mounted therein, said one or more cups for manipulating the light created by the one or more light emitting diodes associated therewith. 34. The device as recited in claim 33 further comprising one or more lenses optically connected with one of the one or more cups, said one or more lenses for adjusting the light emitted by the one or more light emitting diodes associated with the one of the one or more cups, wherein adjusting is one or more actions selected from the group comprising collecting, focusing and collimating. 35. The device as recited in claim 22 further comprising one or more lenses optically connected with one of the one or more light emitting diodes, said one or more lenses for adjusting the light emitted by the one of the one or more light emitting diodes associated therewith, wherein adjusting is one or more actions selected from the group comprising collecting, focusing and collimating. 36. The device as recited in claim 22 wherein said heat pipe is electrically conductive and is electrically integral with a cathode of the at least one of said one or more light emitting diodes. 37. The device as recited in claim 22 wherein said light emitting diodes produce light having wavelengths represented by one or more ranges selected from the group comprising infrared, ultraviolet and visible. 38. The device as recited in claim 22 wherein said light emitting diodes produce visible light having one or more wavelengths representing a color selected from the group comprising red, blue, green and amber. 39. The device as recited in claim 22 wherein said control circuitry and said electrical wiring includes batteries electrically coupled thereto, wherein power for operation of the device is drawn from said batteries or a plug connected to an AC line current or a combination thereof. 40. The device as recited in claim 22 wherein said substrate is separated into quadrants and each quadrant includes one or more light-emitting diodes, wherein the control circuitry can address each quadrant separately. 41. The device as recited in claim 22 wherein the heat pipe has a longitudinal configuration having one or more shapes selected from the group comprising straight, curved and bent.